Home is where college football playoffs should be

Home is where the heart is unless you are referring to college football playoffs.

Now that the hangover from the announcement of a proposed playoff system has begun to wear off, we can finally see just what we are left with as a possible postseason reality.

With anywhere from "two to seven" playoff proposals in hand, officials are now left with the task of choosing the best model for their respective conferences. However, the best model may not even be one that is considered.

I'm talking about a four-team playoff that involves playing semifinal games on host campus sites.

You can talk about preserving traditions in college football all you like but what better way to demonstrate that idea than having a college town host a semifinal game?

Some football officials have concerns over the capacity of the stadiums as well as their respective communities to host these games however I believe that won't be an issue at all.

For example, LSU and Alabama would have played host to Oklahoma State and Stanford last season in such a proposed playoff scenario. Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge holds 92,000-plus while Bryant-Denny Stadium hosts more than 101,000 people, providing both with ample room for both fans and media.

Hosting those games would create a frenzied environment in their respective communities that would in some cases, be bigger than any rivalry. Imagine the buzz and electricity generated by those games as well as the economic impact on those host cities.

Weather has also been brought up as a concern but am I not correct in assuming that this is football?

When did we decide that meaningful games should be played in the warmth and sanctity of a domed stadium? Or better yet, in warmer climates?

"This isn't golf," Michigan coach Brady Hoke told ESPN.com. "This is football. Football is played in all kinds of environments and climates."

If teams are concerned about the weather, then they need to work harder at winning games and scheduling quality opponents. Cupcakes are only good for fat, which you will need to keep you warm when playing a team like Notre Dame in South Bend in January.

It's worked for Major League Baseball, the NFL and just about every other sport imaginable.

Of course, it's college athletics which means money will come into play although the possible $350-plus million deal the new postseason format could generate should ease some of those concerns.

Semis in no means should overshadow the national championship which means plenty of money possible for a neutral-site title game. You can't tell me that Jerry Jones won't pony up big dollars to have a title game at Cowboys Stadium.

Sure, all of this may just be a dream but isn't that what they said about a playoff in college football?

mmurschel@tribune.com

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For most teams, Saturday was the final weekend of football until the fall. Here is a quick look at some spring games around the country:

Kansas: Running back Tony Pierson rushed for 141 yards and defensive end Michael Reynolds had three sacks to lead the Blue squad to a 45-0 win in front of 15,000 fans at the Jayhawks annual Blue-White spring game. It was the debut of Charlie Weis as head coach at Kansas.

Kansas State: Collin Klein threw for 475 yards and six touchdowns during the Wildcats annual Purple-White spring game Saturday in front of 18,048 fans. The game, which featured No. 1 players against No. 2 players ended in a 42-42 tie after the score was reversed at halftime.

Michigan State: Playing for both squads, quarterback Connor Cook completed 20-of-45 passes for 294 yards as the White defeated the Green, 14-2 in Saturday's annual spring game. Projected starter Andrew Maxwell sat out the game with an injury. William Gholston tackled Nick Hill for a 2-yard loss in the end zone to give the Green it's only points of the game.

Oregon: Redshirt freshman Marcus Mariota made a big case for being the Ducks starting quarterback this season on Saturday. Mariota was 18-of-26 for 202 yards and a touchdown will also rushing for 99 yards and two touchdowns to lead his team to a 41-14 victory.

Texas A&M: Receiver Ryan Swope had a game-high eight catches for 156 yards including a pair of long touchdowns – one for 63 yards and one for 50 – to help lead the White squad to a 48-44 win over the Maroon in the Aggies annual Maroon & White spring game. New head coach Kevin Sumlin watched as his offense tallied more than 600 yards of total offense in the game.